A Different Road
by theravenstag
Summary: AU of 1.04 The Poisoned Chalice: When Arthur comes back with the antidote and Gaius gives it to Merlin, he doesn't respond immediately. Causing everyone to think and believe him dead. When Gaius figures out what's wrong, he can't get to Arthur to tell. Only Merlin is able to get to Arthur, who's now depressed. Can Merlin convince Arthur he's alive?


Gwen waited impatiently as Gaius fed Merlin the antidote to the Mortaeus flower. Hoping that it would have an effect.

The last few hours of Merlin's suffering had been painful to watch. It felt like it had lasted for years, the way that Merlin add been under the poisons influence. The fever, the shaking, the sweating and muttering. It was all too much after a while, this was going to help him. That's what she had to hold on to.

The rash had diminished the majority of Gwen's positivity. At the beginning, she had put everything on them having four days, that Arthur would have four days to get the cure. When the rash had appeared and the time had come down to two days, only the hope saved for hopeless situations was left.

Everything piled on top of the other made this probably the worst situation Gwen had ever been through.

Gwen thanked the Gods for small miracles when Arthur came back in time.

Even if it meant he ended up in a prison cell.

More than anything, Gwen was thankful that she was able to get the flower from his cell, to sneak down to where he was being held to do it. Going against Uther was risky, easy to get caught, even with the excuse of food. It was only luck that she was able to get in before some brought the Prince's actual meal down.

Even then, the scare when the guard had stopped her was enough to make her heart go into overdrive.

She knew when she got back to the room Merlin didn't have much time, Gaius said it himself, and they didn't have much time, what with his breathing worse.

At Gaius's mention that it was made with magic and they would probably need it, she couldn't help but feel that last bit of hope flee from her body.

Already mentally preparing herself for the worst.

It was hard, in the few weeks that the boy had been in Camelot, Gwen had developed a slight crush on the boy.

The moment of truth came after she fetched the freshwater.

Gaius had ordered her to plug his nose, muttering "Swallow, Merlin, swallow it," as he poured it down his unwilling throat.

Letting go as Merlin's limp body obeyed Gaius' orders and swallowed by reflex.

The both hovered over the pale body, praying to whoever was up there that there would be something. That he would get better. When Merlin's breathing changed, Gwen let out a breath of relief.

Before the panic came back full-fledged as she realized that, while the breathing had changed, it had stopped.

"He's stopped breathing," she observed, sadness leaking into her tone. Her brow furrowed as she turned towards the physician. "What's happening? Gaius?"

The older man looked at the young lady to his right. She searched his face for anything that would answer her question. Watching as he leaned over to check Merlin's heartbeat. They waited in agonizingly long seconds before Gaius stood straight.

"His heart has stopped."

Gwen felt as if the floor beneath her feet had been pulled out from beneath her. After everything, the quest, the preparations and care, Merlin had still left them.

They had failed.

She looked at the unmoving body in front of her. As the body took on a pale tone – even more pale than when Merlin was alive. The lips slowly started to turn blue as reality hit her in the chest.

"He's dead?"

Gwen knew it was pointless to ask, it was obvious that the vessel in front of her had no more life. She didn't want to believe it. It was Merlin, who, despite not having been here long, had experienced so much. She felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"He can't be," came the answer. "He can't be. It was his destiny."

Gwen didn't understand what Gaius meant by that, so she changed it when something else dawned upon her.

"It's my fault," it was her fault. If she had only gotten the water faster, or gotten the flower quicker from Arthur. If she had only been there when he got back to Camelot and taken the flower before he was taken to the dungeons. She voiced it allowed.

Her voice started to wobble as she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders.

"No, no," Gaius said, taking her into his arms, the only form of comfort that could possibly be acceptable at Merlin's passing. She felt tears slowly roll down her face. "It was me," Gaius continued. "I should've looked after him better. It's my fault."

They stayed like that for a while before finally separating. Tears falling from both of their eyes.

"What should we do?" Gwen asked finally.

She was met by silence. A sigh came from the man next to her as she sat back down in the chair next to the cot. "I'll send a letter to Hunith, she'd want to know that Merlin had—" Gaius cut himself off, unable to say the words. He sniffed and rubbed his eyes. "Yes, she'll want to know."

"What about Arthur?"

Gaius looked down to her. "Someone will have to tell him."

Gwen frowned again. "I don't think I'd be able to go back down there without being recognized by the guards," she thought for a second. "Morgana might be able to get down there and tell him."

They sat in silence for a while longer, the passing of Merlin not fully sinking into their skin.

"He was just so young," Gaius commented. "Much too young to have suffered this much."

Gwen ignored the obvious dodge of the'd' word. "How old was he?"

"Sixteen."

Oh gods.

"He was going to turn seventeen in a few months."

Oh gods, he wasn't much younger than Arthur was. The prince turned eighteen a few weeks ago, just before Merlin came to Camelot.

Gwen stood up on shaking legs. "I'd best go find Morgana, I'm sure Arthur would want to know as soon as possible."

Gaius nodded as Gwen left and pulled a sheet up over Merlin's body, both for Merlin's privacy and for Gaius' mindset. He didn't want to see the boy he saw as his own diseased on the bed in his room.

He couldn't believe that after everything, Merlin was gone.

What would become of Hunith? The woman who raised Merlin by herself, trying to keep him out of the inevitable danger he would be in because of his gifts. What would she do? Gaius knew that Merlin sent the majority of the money he made working for Arthur to her. Merlin was one of the only things in life that she had left. After Balinor had left her and now Merlin. Gaius could only hope that she would be okay. Maybe he could offer her Merlin's old room. No, Gaius thought, banishing the idea. That would just make it worse for her.

What of Arthur? And the destiny the two of them had shared. In the small amount of time that Merlin had worked for the young prince, Gaius could already see a difference in him. The cocky, arrogant person Merlin had seen when he first entered Camelot was disappearing into the fair and just ruler the prophecies made him out to be. Every once in a while the foolish boy would appear, but Merlin was slowly changing him – for the better. And now?

What of Emrys, the most powerful warlock to walk the earth. Killed by poison. What would the druids do without him. What would magic do without him?

Gaius walked over to the desk and started cleaning up the mess he had made trying to save Merlin.

A few minutes later Morgana burst through the door, followed closely with Gwen.

It only took one look at where Merlin lay for a sob to burst from Morgana's mouth. She covered her face with her hands, eyes glossy and confused. She turned her head, asking silent questions and expecting answers.

Gaius only sighed and looked down at his hands. "We did everything we possibly could."

Another sob, this time from both women.

"I'm sorry we were not able to save him."

Morgana nodded and tried to compose herself. "Does Arthur know?"

Gaius ignored her shaking voice as he replied. "No, he doesn't."

"Do you want me to tell him?"

"If you could, my Lady," Gaius said. "He would want to know what had become of his servant."

Morgana looked at him. "Merlin wasn't working for Arthur very long, but in that time, he was more than a servant to him. Merlin became Arthur's friend. The first in a very long time – if you don't count the knights."

Without waiting for an answer she turned back towards the door, forcing Gwen back into the hallway.

Gaius looked back at where he charge lay before setting down the vials in his hands and going to see the great dragon.

Arthur sat in the dirty cell, impatient for word on how Merlin was.

He had sat until his butt was sore before standing up and starting to pace back and forth. It was only a few minutes after did he hear a familiar voice from the top of the stairs.

Morgana.

Arthur understood that after everything that had happened only a few people would have been able to come down and see him. Gwen wouldn't have been able to, since the guards had almost gone after her after she brought down food for him to sneak the flower up with.

He wasn't too injured that they would let Gaius down, and even then they wouldn't send him down for a small scratch. Maybe if something were to be infected would he be sent down, but Arthur had gotten away relatively unscathed.

It only made sense that Morgana were to be sent down. Uther and she were the only two that would be able to come down without much of a fuss.

The moment he saw her he knew that something had happened.

Her eyes were red and slightly puffy and voice thick with unshed tears. There was a slight trail of black coming from her eyes, at any other time, Arthur would have made fun of her make up running, but the pit that was slowly growing in his stomach stopped him.

"Morgana," he said and moved to the front of the cage, gripping the iron bars with his hands. Knuckles turning white at how hard he held them. "Merlin? How is he?"

Deep down, Arthur knew what had happened. He didn't want to think about it and pushed the thought away.

Morgana jerked her attention away from where her hands were playing with her sleeves to look at him.

"They tried everything, Arthur, everything. It just didn't work," she sobbed.

Arthur felt as if someone had punched him. He moved back from his spot at the bars until he reached the stone wall. He let his body slowly slide down the rough placement before landing on the floor. Heart pounding.

"He's… dead?"

Morgana let out a small sound. "Yes, Arthur. Merlin's gone."

Frowning, he looked up to where Morgana was still standing. "But Gaius said that the flower would work. He said they would be able to save him. Why didn't it work?"

More tears came down the woman's face. "I don't know, Arthur. Maybe we were too late. It might have been his time. If it was, there'd be nothing we could have done about it."

Suddenly, Arthur felt anger race through his veins. There was so much anger, at himself, at Gaius, at Gwen. There was even anger at Merlin. The anger was foolish. He knew that it wasn't Merlin's fault that he had died. His thoughts did nothing at calming himself. Without much thought, Arthur stood up quickly, ignoring the dizziness that came with it and slammed his fist into the wall.

Punch after punch after punch until the ringing in his ears went down and was replaced with Morgana's whimpers. He looked down at his knuckles, basking in the familiar red the covered them and the pain that raced up his arms.

Tears were flowing down his face freely now, a small sound would follow but he covered it up right away.

All at once he was hit with memories. Of Merlin when they first met in Camelot. How he hadn't realized that Arthur was the prince and treated him like a normal person. At the time, he was appalled at the boys manners, but now he basked in it. There were no 'sire's or 'my lord's, but just regular conversation. The feeling of being treated like an equal was refreshing. All of his life people had bowed down to him just because he was the prince of Camelot. Merlin just called him a prat and all bows or recognition of his status was either filled with sarcasm or just stating facts.

He thought of how he stood up for his servant at the time, who he had forced to run with the shield just to amuse himself and his friends.

No, they were knights. Friends were like Merlin, they didn't care that you were royalty or not. Like Gwen, who recognized the authority and tried to act upon it but ended up slipping many times.

The knights were only there to serve the kingdom and his father. Maybe he had a connection with a few of them, but that was all built off of his placement. Being heir to the throne.

Arthur hated it, now he realized just how boring it was. How horrible it was.

And the one person who dared to be different was now in Gaius' chambers after expelling his last breath.

It seemed so sudden.

Just a few days ago Arthur had been laughing at the ridiculous hat that he had made Merlin wear. A bit before that he had tried to convince Arthur that one of the knights in the tournament was using a magic shield.

It was weird. That in the short time that they had known each other, Arthur had felt like he needed to please Merlin. To be a better version of him, the version that Merlin wanted him to be. Even though Arthur acted as if he hated the boy the majority of the time, it was quite the opposite. Arthur enjoyed every moment with the boy, even in the mornings with Merlin's stupid wake ups, and the small meals he would bring up and steal food off of when he thought Arthur wasn't looking.

Arthur knew that he still had a week to spend in the cell. That there was a small chance that he would even be able to see Merlin before—

Was he going to be burned? Buried?

As all these thoughts went through his head, he didn't see Morgana leaving.

Morgana walked up the stairs and was immediately confronted with Uther. Who told her to follow him.

They only walked around the corner before he turned to look at her, almost causing her to run into him.

"Morgana, I know that you are my ward and that you care for my son. But I forbid you from going back down to see him until he is released. The guards have already been informed. No one except me will be able to go down and see him. He must learn that he can't disobey me like he did, especially for a lowly servant."

Morgana looked up sharply at that. Shock all over her face. "Merlin was more than just a 'lowly servant.' He was Arthur's friend."

"Friend? Why would Arthur need a friend? He's the prince of Camelot and shouldn't be relying on someone else."

"What?" Morgana gasped. "You rely on Gaius."

"Gaius is a trusted advisor but a king must rule alone. Arthur will learn this. Until he gets a wife and becomes king, he cannot go on dangerous quests."

Morgana shook her head and walked away. Appalled by what the King had just said.

Gaius made his way down to the dungeons, away from where Arthur was being held, and towards the door that the dragon was kept behind.

He grabbed a lit torch from the wall and opened the door. Slowly doing down the stairs so he didn't fall, before stopping at the ledge.

The cavern looked the same as it did the last time he had seen it. Except this time, the dragon was nowhere to be seen.

"Kilgharrah?" He called, the sound of his voice echoed back to him before the sound of beating wings and the clanging of a giant change ripped his attention away from all other noise. The dragon was even bigger than Gaius remembered. He settled down on a large rock near the ledge that Gaius stood on.

"Ah, Gaius. It's good to see you again, my old friend. I assume you're down here because of the boy?"

Gaius looked at him in confusion before nodding. "He's dead, Kilgharrah. What are we to do now? Emrys had left with Merlin's soul, all hopes of the prophecy coming true are gone now. What—"

He was cut off with a laugh peel of laughter coming from the large beast in front of him. "Dead, you say?" Another round of laughter came with that. "Why do you think that the warlock is dead?"

Gaius stood in shock as he listened to the dragon. "Merlin died, Kilgharrah. He's in my room right now, his heart has stopped and so has his breathing."

Kilgharrah leaned closer. "Do you really believe that Emrys would be vanquished by something as simple as a poison?"

Gaius shook his head. "This wasn't any poison. It was the Mortaeus flower the caused this. The cure was administered too late, the boy died from the drink."

The dragon smiled. "And you believe that Emrys' magic, the thing of legend, would be defeated by something that simple?"

Gaius frowned, unsure now. "What do you mean?"

"Emrys and the Once and Future King's prophecy has been told since the beginning. Emrys is not one who can be defeated easily. You will find that the least likely idea is the most likely when it comes to our warlock. You shouldn't be so quick to give up hope."

With that, the dragon spread his wings and began to fly his way back up to somewhere above Gaius' view. Leaving him standing there confused.

Gaius made it back up into his chambers slowly. Not wanting to go back into the room where his surrogate son was dead.

Yet, the dragon seemed to think otherwise.

He opened the door to his work space and walked over to where the sheet still hadn't been removed. Reluctantly, Gaius pulled it away from Merlin's face.

There was no change in how the boy looked. His face still pale and lips blue from lack of oxygen. Gaius frowned as he touched Merlin's face. It was sticky from where the sweat had now dried, but still slightly warm.

Gaius pulled the sheet back all the way, touching random parts of his body. First his cheek, then his arm, following to his leg and back. All of the body was still warm.

By now, the body should have been cold.

Gaius checked again for any urine or defecation. Remembering from one of his first lessons when he was training for the job of a physician, that a sign of death was the release of the bladder and feces. The body unable to control itself anymore, it released everything.

Nothing.

Not a drop.

Gaius stood up, confused.

Merlin seemed dead. He wasn't breathing and there was no heartbeat. That was obvious. But he had warmth to his body and control over himself.

Gaius walked over to where he kept his books, pulling one off the shelf and dropped it onto the table before sitting down in front of it.

It was hours before he found what he was looking for.

A coma.

Gaius had only come across this once or twice, and usually only lasted for a few days.

The state of unconsciousness – deep unconsciousness – that lasted for a long period of time.

Gaius looked back up at Merlin.

If the boy wasn't dead, like they originally thought, this was the only explanation to what was going on.

Even still, last time he had come across this, the men had been breathing, their hearts beating.

But Merlin was more than just a man. He was Emrys and was magic. He was the most powerful being to walk the earth. Was it his magic that was protected him? That was causing this state? He could only hope.

The rest of the week passed with little change in Merlin. Some color came back in his cheeks and his lips. Gaius had decided on the second day that Merlin was most likely in some type of magic coma. His thoughts were greeted with a smile when he went to see the dragon.

He could only hope that Merlin's magic was sustaining him in more ways than one. For Gaius' attempts at getting anything down Merlin's throat was a failure.

No one had come around to see them. Word got out that the serving boy that drank poison for Arthur was not only Arthur's personal servant, but also diseased. And Gaius didn't have enough proof to send around the truth.

Gwen didn't come back, neither did Morgana, which surprised Gaius. He understood perfectly. He didn't want to be around the body that looked so much like death, it was only the fact that it wasn't death but a coma that kept him there. Constantly watching for a difference in the boy.

At one point, Uther found him coming back from the dragon and had told him he had heard about the serving boy and expressed his apologies. Vaguely knowing just how much the boy meant to the old physician.

It was on the seventh day did he finally hear a difference in Merlin.

Gaius had been sitting at his desk for hours working on paperwork when he heard a small gasp. Followed swiftly by an exhale. He got out of the chair and walked as fast as he could to where Merlin was laying. Wanting to jump for joy when he realized that Merlin was breathing again, and breathing regularly.

He checked and found a heartbeat too.

While Gaius was basking in the relief of Merlin's improvements, Arthur was facing a different problem.

He hadn't said anything for days.

Ever since Morgana came in with the news of Merlin, he didn't bother to say anything.

Arthur had been falling deeper and deeper into a depression.

Every once in a while he could hear a whisper about it among the guards, who would quickly look over to where Arthur was sitting against the wall.

He had hardly moved from his spot. Too lost in his mind to notice what was going around outside of him. The blame kept circling around in his head the for the first few hours after the news before finally settling on himself.

If he had gotten the flower quicker. If he hadn't made Merlin drink from the goblet and just had Gaius test the drink for poison instead.

Alternative after alternative ran through his head.

His sleep was filled with visions of what Merlin looked like.

Arthur would walk into the room to see a ghastly looking body on a bed, mouth still paused in final breath and eyes yet to be closed.

In some versions, Merlin would wake up and look at him with disgust. All friendliness that made Merlin who he was gone. He double would yell at Arthur, recounting his final moments of life and then twisting it in the worst way possible.

Sometimes, the body would spew insults at him. Calling him names and saying he was unfit for the throne. Unfit to rule or to be a good person.

He wouldn't call Arthur a friend like he did when they were living. The body would say that friends didn't let friends die.

That Arthur was a failure. He was worthless. And stupid.

More than anything, the body that looked like Merlin, sounded like Merlin and spoke like Merlin would blame him for his death.

Arthur felt like he was going mad.

When the week was finally up, Arthur had decided that he couldn't go and see Merlin. Scared of what he would find.

The rational part of his mind knew that no matter what, nothing that happened in his dreams would happen in real life. But the sound of dream-Merlin's yells echoed through his mind.

Uther finally let him out and Arthur just nodded. Not listening to what his father was saying. But mechanically agreeing to different things when he was asked.

He walked up into his bedroom, feeling nothing.

Gwen or Morgana would come in and try to talk with him, but Arthur would just ignore them. Sometimes he would yell at them and send them away. He hardly ate, touching his food only because a servant might express their concern. Usually, would just leave the plate until a servant would come around and take it from him.

In meetings he sat there, and occasionally gave feedback. Once again agreeing and disagreeing where he normally would, but without the normal amount of feeling. He didn't even feel bored.

Arthur could only think about how he had failed Merlin and how he had caused Merlin's death.

It was on the second week after he got back from his quest did Morgana approach him. He recognized that she was angry. It was only when she smacked him across the face did he feel like he was run over by a horse.

It was like someone had turned on a switch inside of him.

He turned back into his regular self. His old self.

Gaius could see that where Merlin was improving, Arthur wasn't so lucky.

Arthur had finally gotten over the half alive state he used to be in after getting out of the cell and was back to his old self.

His old-old self.

The cocky, pompous, ass that he had been before he met Merlin.

In fact, he acted as if he didn't remember Merlin at all.

He went back to treated servants the same was he did before he entered Camelot. Went back to being a reckless teenage boy who Uther looked down to.

If Gaius had not seen it for himself, he couldn't have believed anybody.

Gaius had seen the difference in Merlin and told both Gwen and Morgana, who looked at him with a pitying look before he practically dragged them back to his rooms.

The look on their faces was one of awe, fear, and confusion. He explained to them afterwards that Merlin had fallen into a coma and was just regaining his strength. The relief that came onto their faces afterwards was worth the risk of them asking about magic.

Gaius had tried, along with Morgana and Gwen to tell Arthur that Merlin was okay. Especially after he never came to see Merlin with his own eyes.

But every time they tried Arthur would send them away or ignore them. It got to the point in which a servant would come along asking for a sleeping draft for Arthur instead of Arthur coming himself.

Gaius could only do so much for Arthur when he refused help, but continued to do as much as possible for Merlin.

Merlin was now able to handle fluids. Which was a great improvement from before.

It was one day when both Gwen and Morgana were with Gaius, talking when Merlin opened his eyes.

Gwen had seen it first.

They had been deep in a conversation about Arthur's actions when suddenly Gwen had looked over and let out a small scream.

Both Morgana and Gaius looked after and saw Merlin with his eyes widened in shock at Gwen's reaction.

He looked to both of them, brow furrowed as he tried to get words out of his mouth.

A bit more water and he was able to talk in a low whisper. His voice deeper and raspier after lack of use.

He increased in health day after day. Soon, he was able to walk around the chambers and up the steps into his old room before having to sit back down.

All attempts at getting Arthur down to see him were pointless.

Although, word had gotten around that Merlin was alive. There was a lot of speculation about it. Uther came in once when Merlin was sitting up on the bed and drinking tea. Gaius had calmly lied and explained that it had nothing to do with magic and was just a health problem.

Uther finally understood after Gaius told stories of it happening before and showed him cases in many books.

It was a month after Merlin had been cured that he was finally able to get out of his chambers and go to see Arthur.

Arthur knew he was acting badly. That he was letting Merlin down even though Merlin was dead and didn't care anymore.

It was just hard. He would hear in the hallways that Merlin was alive again, servants would gossip about it but quiet down when they saw him approaching.

More than anything, it made him angry.

Merlin wasn't alive, he was dead and it was his fault.

Arthur woke up the next morning to a face full of sunshine and a loud, chipper voice in his ear.

Without thinking, he said. "Merlin, shut up."

"Ah, well, at least you recognize my voice, now get up."

Arthur looked up sharply, realizing what he had just said and the reply he had just gotten. When Merlin came into view he jumped out of bed and pulled out his sword.

Fake Merlin immediately put his hands up.

"I had thought of a lot of reactions you would have had and this was not exactly one of them," Gods it even talked like him. "I was sort of hoping for the one where we go for a hug."

Arthur frowned as the imposter continued to talk.

"Arthur?"

He looked up.

"Are you okay?" The fake Merlin even sounded worried. It was insulting.

"Shut up. You don't get to do that. You don't get to stand there, looking like him. You don't get to talk like that. You're supposed to stay in my dreams!" Arthur swung his sword and fake Merlin jumped back, eyes widening.

"Arthur, it's me. It's Merlin."

"No. It. Isn't," Arthur said between clenched teeth.

"Yes, it is. I'm alive and okay. You don't look it though. Have you been eating?"

Arthur swung the sword again. Anger filling up inside of him.

"Shut up, and go away, please, just leave me alone. I know, okay? I know it was my fault, but please just stop torturing me like this," he begged.

Merlin watched with wide eyes as Arthur practically broke down in front of him. One moment he was angry and calling him a liar and the next he's begging for him to go away. Spouting some nonsense about something or other.

He watched as Arthur sat down on the floor, sword clanging to the ground with him.

Merlin slowly walked over to where Arthur was on the ground. Head in hands.

He took Arthur's hands away from where it cradled his head and grabbed his palms. Arthur looked up at him in surprise. Being this close Merlin could really see how much Arthur had changed.

His cheekbones were more pronounced, as if he hadn't been eating much. There were big bags under his eyes which had started a sort of illusion of sinking into his skull. The bags were dark as he was bruised and he was frail. More frail than Merlin remembered and more frail than Arthur should be.

"Arthur," he looked up at Merlin's face. Eyes shining with tears. "It's me, and I'm okay. I'm alive."

Arthur shook his head. "No, no, you're dead. You're dead and it's all my fault."

Merlin tilted Arthur's chin so they could look at each other face to face. And brought one of Arthur's hands to Merlin's cheek.

"Arthur, I didn't die. It is not your fault. You saved me, Arthur, you saved me."

Suddenly, rage filled Arthur's face. "No, you don't get to do this to me. Yelling insults at me and telling me you're dead and it's my fault I can handle. But you don't get to do this. Show up during the day and tell me the exact opposite."

Merlin grabbed Arthur's face with both of his hands, adding some steel to his voice. "Arthur, look at me. I am still alive and it wasn't your fault. You saved me by going on that quest. I didn't die, Arthur. I am alive."

Arthur's rage seemed to disappear as quickly as it came. Realization flowing into his eyes. "Merlin?"

Merlin gave a tentative smile and nodded. "Yeah, Arthur it's me."

There wasn't enough time for Merlin to prepare before being swept into a giant embrace. "Oh thank the gods, Merlin."

Merlin just nodded and wrapped his arms around Arthur's back.

When Arthur pulled away there were tear tracks on his face. "How?"

Merlin didn't answer but stood up instead. Holding out his hand for Arthur to take before pulling him up too.

"I'll answer all of your questions. But first," he led Arthur over to the table and walked to the door. He grabbed a servant walking past Arthur's chambers. The girl looked shocked to see him walking about. Obviously one of the few who hadn't seen him roaming the corridors when he was bored and Gaius wasn't there to tell him not to. He asked to grab a plate of food for the prince before going back and sitting down next to Arthur. "You need to eat."

Arthur gave a small smile and dug in as soon as the plate was in front of him.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in Arthur's room. Merlin explaining himself and Arthur telling about his behavior.

Merlin didn't leave Arthur's chambers that night. Arthur too afraid that Merlin would be gone in the morning, so he invited him to share that night.

Merlin only had to wake Arthur up from a nightmare once. Which Arthur told him the next morning was a big improvement from the nights before.

Arthur also made sure to tell him that if Merlin ever died for real, Arthur would kill him.


End file.
